2 for 3

This morning I woke up 5 minutes before the alarm went off. I hate when that happens. This time it was because of the hard rain and wind hammering the window. I tried to go back to sleep but when the alarm went off Woody and I quickly decided we didn't want to start our week by getting soaked on the way to the gym, so I set the alarm again and we went back to sleep. I had some weird dreams over the next hour. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me because it knew I should be running! I was supposed to do three miles and strength train this morning. Oops. Now I have to figure out how to make it up. I think instead of skipping my rest day on Friday (which means I wouldn't take a day off till 11th, I'll just add a mile or two on Thursday. I have to run 5 tomorrow and don't think I have enough time to run 6. Hmm... I'll be thinking about this the rest of the day, I'm sure! I did do a bit of stretching while Woody was showering though. I am so stiff in the morning!
I had a pretty good weekend, though. We had beautiful weather, which was a nice change from our deluge of rain Friday morning, and allowed us to spend a lot of time walking, rather than in the subway.

My training schedule called for six miles Saturday morning. I did this on the treadmill, although I really should have taken advantage of the weather instead. It was really cloudy when I was leaving for my workout but was bright and sunny when I was coming home. Oh, well. Can't do anything about it now. My run started out pretty sluggish and I thought I was going to have a tough time getting through it. My legs were stiff for the first mile till I finally got into a good rhythm. Sometimes I feel like my feet are going faster than the belt is. Is that possible? I don't know why I do that, but it usually doesn't take long for me to settle in. I watched the TODAY Show and learned all about Will and Kate's big trip to St. Andrew's and who got wedding invitations (I think mine must have been lost in the mail), then before I knew it, the six miles were done. I just did a somewhat short core and stretching session before I headed home.

Sunday morning I really wanted to get outside for my workout but I had 60 minutes of cross training on my schedule. With all the walking we did yesterday and the running I put in last week, I had to play it safe and stick to a low-impact workout. I can not get injured again. I have to be careful to not over train and pull strain another muscle in my foot. So, I hopped on an elliptical in the fitness center in our building for 60 minutes and watched GMA. Did you hear about the awesome 5th grade choir from PS 22 on Staten Island that sang on the Oscars last night? Their story is fantastic! Check out their videos if you didn't see them last night.

I love the drummer! So cute! It's really a great story and fun to see how excited they all are. Staten Island is kind of the afterthought borough in NYC, so it's nice to see these kids getting some attention!

My workout was good, but boring. Not much to say about an hour on an elliptical! Hopefully I'll get outside one morning this week. While I know I love running outdoors, it's been a little hard to get myself out there even when we have had nice weather. I think it's partly because the water fountains are still off, I don't know how my sinuses are going to do and it's still dark when I have to start my run. But, I do want to get out there, just have to do it once and I'll be fine. First step is always the hardest, right?

• If you're on a cardio machine at the gym, do you listen to music or watch TV?
• Do you think I should add mileage to my other runs this week or just skip these 3 miles I missed today and move forward?
• What did you think about the Oscars last night? James Franco's disappearing act was interesting... probably because he wasn't quite at his best ;) Personally, I'm thrilled "The King's Speech" and Colin Firth won!

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Saturday's workout -
6mile run
125 crunches
2x50 sec planks
3x10 glute kickback
stretching

Sunday's workout -
60min elliptical
3x10 side bends
3x12 tricep kickback
stretching

Today's workout -
Unexpected rest day
Stretching

5 for Friday

I hope you've all had a great (short) work week and are looking forward to the weekend! I know I am! ;)

1. @maleciawalker shared THIS interesting link with me the other day through twitter. It's a racetrack for hill workouts in Spain! Perfect for runners in areas that are flat as a pancake. From the pictures though, this area seems to have plenty of hills, but perhaps it's just where the designers live and wanted to give it a try. Anyway, I thought it is a pretty cool idea.

2. Woody and I are going to the New York Times Travel Show tomorrow at the Javits Center. Other than the long hike we'll have to take to get there from the subway, I'm really looking forward to this! We're making travel a priority, since we both have many places we want to visit during our lives, so we thought this would be a fun event to go to. First on our list, this year, is Philly (for the race), North Carolina and Seattle. Then, who knows! Maybe we'll decide on Saturday!

3. If you're in NYC next weekend, you might want to check this out, if only for the high quirk factor. The Nutropolitan Museum of Art!, being promoted as the world's first PB&J art exhibit, will take place March 4th through 6th. Apparently you get a free jar of PB&Co peanut butter (while supplies last) and another will be donated to the Food Bank of New York as well! The idea originated with Lee Zalbin and Peanut Butter and Co is a main sponsor.

4. Have you ever been online, clicked on a link, and gotten one of those annoying 404 error messages that the page no longer existed? Well, some companies actually have a sense of humor and have added a little art to these pages... I'm guessing with the hope that you won't be quite so annoyed that they've taken the page down. Mashable put together a great collection of these pages HERE, but here's a preview from their site....

5. Two food related items for you:
a) Michael Pollan is working on a second installment of his amazing book, Food Rules, and is asking for help. If you have a favorite food rule you'd like to suggest, submit it HERE (deadline is February 27th).
b) Yesterday Google rolled out yet another new tool in it's vast online empire. Recipe View. Now when you search Google for a recipe you can click 'recipe' on the side bar and filter by ingredient, cook time and even calorie count to help you find the recipe that matches what you need the best! I haven't used it yet (since it just popped up yesterday) but if it works like they say it will, I have a feeling this will be really useful!

• What's on tap for your weekend?
• If someone (not me) offered you a free trip anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?

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Yesterday's workout -
3mile run
3x10 cable pull pushdown
3x10 cable twists
3x10 leg press
3x10 overhead tricep extension
3x12 upright row
3x12 hammer curls
100 jumping jacks
125 crunches
lots of stretching

Today's workout -
None. Rest day!

What's Going On?

I'll try to make this short because it has absolutely nothing to do with the usual topics of this blog. If you just want running news, head to the bottom of the post. (I won't blame you if you do!)

Last night on my way to Zumba, I was running a bit late because I had to wait quite a while for a 6 train. When I got off at Grand Central to get the 4/5 the crowd on the platform was huge; 4-6 people deep. The first train came and I knew I wasn't going to get on. I looked down towards the next car and there were just as many people trying to get on. All of a sudden I noticed a woman stepping into the car and I knew something was off. Next thing I know I see hands against her pushing her back off the car. She stepped back on. Again, she was physically pushed off. Seconds later a fight broke out; she was punching the woman who pushed her and the woman was punching and pushing back. It seemed like eternity before some guys stepped on and pulled them apart. I couldn't believe I was witnessing a fight between two grown women.

Yesterday morning I saw YouTube footage of a fight at an IHOP restaurant. A few weeks ago it was footage of high school kids beating up on a Burger King worker who was trying to stop a food fight. And how many times have we seen video, taken by teenagers and posted on YouTube of group beatings of other teens?

What is wrong with us? Why are people so pushy? Why are people so defensive and angry? So determined to get somewhere fast that they don't care about human decency. That they don't have any respect for anyone else. I admit it, sometimes I get frustrated on the subway after a long day of work when I'm being pushed around so people can stuff themselves onto the car. But that's only if I'm already on the car, because I can't stand being packed like a sardine and I'd rather wait for the next train than get pushed around. Why are so many people looking for a fight? Where did things go wrong?

We don't have hands to hit, voices to curse, and feet to kick. I'm really disturbed by how people can be so hateful. Isn't it exhausting to be mad all the time?

Maybe we all need a little more yoga and a few more early morning runs in our lives. A few deep breaths each day. I much rather spend my time laughing and making good memories.

Okay. Rant over and onto a happier topic. Today was my first speedwork session for my 10-miler training. It went pretty well, I think. I've never done speedwork on my own and definitely never on a treadmill. I came up with a plan on how to tackle it and went with it! I started with my usual 0.15mile walk to warm-up, but then did 1 mile at 6.2m/hr pace. Then I started the intervals. 4x800 was on the plan for today. Between each half mile interval I jogged for a quarter mile (or one lap on a 400m track). After the intervals were done I finished up with another 1mile cool-down run and 0.15mile walk. If you're wondering, I came up with 0.15miles for my warm-up/cool-down walk distance because it helps warm up my legs but it doesn't take up too much of the time I have in the morning. Overall, I think this workout went well. I'll push the pace a little next time (in two weeks) but I also have to add another repeat! Next Wednesday is a tempo run. Tomorrow calls for an easy 2 mile run, but I'll probably do 3 or 4 miles.

• Do you prefer to defuse or ignore a tense situation?
• Walk away or confront?
• Do you do speedwork intervals in your training?

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Last night's workout -
Zumba

Today's workout -
1mile warm-up
4x800 intervals
1mile cool-down
lots of stretching

Tasty Little Treats (And Healthy, too!)

On my day off yesterday I decided to try my hand at making something I found over on Dish By Trish through Foodbuzz. Basically these little treats are reminiscent of larabars (which I love) but in little two-bite balls.

I based these off Trish's No Bake Cherry Date Balls but made a few slight changes.

Raw Chocolate Fruit & Nut Balls
ingredients
1cup mixed un-salted nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds)
2/3cup pitted medjool dates
1/3cup dried cherries
2tbs water
1tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt
Unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

1. Place nuts and sea salt in a food processor and chop to small pieces.
2. Add cherries and dates; blend till well mixed.
3. Add cocoa, vanilla extract and water; blend until well mixed and sticky.
4. Use tbs to scoop mixture and form into balls.
5. Roll balls in coconut flakes to cover (if desired)
6. Place on cookie sheet or other flat surface, lined with wax or parchment paper and place in the freezer for an hour.

makes 14.5 balls

A few little notes: I used a 1/4cup of roasted peanuts, then a little more than 1/3cup each of almonds and walnuts. I love the taste of peanuts, but I wanted more of the health benefits from the almonds and walnuts. It's easy to pit dates just by pulling apart in half. I then cut each half in half to make smaller pieces so it would be easier to blend. I also found it to be a good idea to stir the mixture with a small spatula a few times to make sure everything was mixing and chopping well. I only used the coconut flakes on a few of the balls.

This is how our dried cherries arrive!

All the ingredients. Thankfully, our small food processor was big enough!

The nut mixture

Ready to go!

The finished product!

I like the fact that these were really easy to make, there are no added sugars and it's all healthy ingredients. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is the fact that these have to be frozen and stored in the freezer. I wish they were more portable because they are very tasty.

• What is your favorite type of nut?
• Do you ever use a food processor?

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Today's workout -
4mile run
.5mile walk
lots of stretching

It Starts Today

Three day weekends are fantastic. I wish we had more of them. Who else is for a four day work week?! Yesterday, after working out, taking care of our chores, and grocery shopping, I fell asleep on the couch and took a little late-afternoon nap while Woody watched golf! I never do that, but I didn't mind yesterday since I have today off too!

This morning I started my training, in earnest, for the Broad Street Run. It's a 10-miler in Philadelphia that just runs down Broad Street. I'll be celebrating my Birthday (April 30) by taking a weekend trip to Philly with Woody and running my first 10 mile race! Sounds good to me!

I decided to use Hal Higdon's intermediate 15-K/10Mile training schedule since it looks like it'll work well with my schedule; every Friday is a rest day and the long runs are on Saturday. The schedule calls for easy days, tempo runs, speedwork, long runs, cross training, strength training and rest days. The longest week-day run is 6 miles, the longest run falls the week before the race at race distance.

A few of my thoughts:

• the only time I've really done tempo runs and speedwork on a consistent basis was a few years ago when I was taking the running classes offered by NYRR. Even while training for the marathon I didn't do these workouts like I probably should have. Given that I don't have easy access to a track, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing all the speedwork on the treadmill.
• the total running distance for the first week is only 17 miles. Seems kind of low to me so I added a mile to Monday, and will do the same for Tuesday, and Thursday.
• I haven't been running so many consecutive days each week, so I'm kind of glad that the mileage starts off conservatively.
• I have an 8 mile run scheduled for the day I'll be in Michigan to meet up with all my cousins to celebrate our Grandma's 90th Birthday. We're meeting at 10am, so I'll be up and at it early for this run. It'll be a nice excuse to get some running in back home. Maybe I'll go to campus.

I'm really looking forward to getting into this structured training schedule. It'll be good for me; hopefully my speed will benefit and I'll get to race day injury free!

A little about today: President's Day has been celebrated since 1832 to honor George Washington memory and in commemoration of his birth day, February 22nd, however it wasn't declared a legal holiday until 1879. Still, it wasn't until 1968 that the Monday Holiday Law was passed, which dictated that certain public holidays would uniformly be celebrated on Mondays, ensuring 3-day holiday weekends, and this holiday was moved to the third Monday in February.

• How do you celebrate George Washington's birthday?
• When training for a race, how do you decide what training plan to follow?
• What are your thoughts on tempo runs and speedwork?

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Saturday's workout -
6 mile run
+warm-up and cool-down
3x10 seated row
3x10 leg press
3x10 overhead tricep extension
3x12 hammer curls
150 crunches
3x10 glute kickbacks
2x50sec planks
lots of stretching
foam roller

Sunday's workout -
50 min elliptical
150 jumping jacks
3x12 tricep kickbacks
3x12 upright row
lots of stretching

Today's workout -
5mile run
200 jumping jacks
3x10 cable pull twists
3x10 lateral arm raise
3x10 front arm raise
125 crunches
3x10 back extensions
lots of stretching

5 For Friday

1. I am not prepared for this week's 5 for Friday post, so I apologize in advance! I was caught up with work and preparations for the fundraiser last night and have hardly surfed the web or thought outside my own bubble this week.

2. Monday is President's Day and I am really looking forward to a day off! I plan on sleeping in, working out, reading, drinking coffee, and lazying around! I love 3 day weekends, when we don't travel, because I can spread out any chores or errands over three days instead of packing them into two. Or, I can just relax on the third and just do whatever I feel like. It's a great thing.

3. I slept horribly last night and now feel very sluggish right now. My head is all fuzzy and I just want to go back to bed. I woke up a little before 1:45am and tried to fall back to sleep for over an hour, finally got up, went into the other room and read a magazine for a little bit. My upper back was aching a bit so I used my trigger wheel to work out a few kinks. I think that helped me get back to sleep. I did finally get to sleep around 3:30am and I did not go to the gym this morning. I hope the uneasiness in my stomach and this fuzzy headache goes away soon! I now have an iced coffee to help out.

4. The event last night, to raise money for the New York Road Runners Youth Programs was a big success. We only had a few who didn't make it and those who did, seemed to have a great time! There were a lot of sweaty people coming out of the spin room, but with big smiles on their faces!

great gift bags!

healthy snacks

lots of mingling (there were some guys there!)

5. Yesterday and today we're having incredible spring weather in NYC. It's supposed to reach 64' again today and I had trouble deciding what to wear this morning! I definitely wore the wrong coat! It's too bad this isn't lasting through the holiday weekend, but it is nice while we have it! Definitely looking forward to Spring and great running weather!

• Do you have Monday off? How are you going to spend it?
• What's your remedy for overcoming a bad night of sleep?
• What do you have planned for the weekend? Any races or training runs?

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Today's workout -
none. Rest day!!

The Right Way to Start (and End) The Day

It's been a few days since I talked about food, so I thought I'd share this with you!

By the time I got home from the gym and a trip to Trader Joe's on Saturday it was almost noon and I hadn't anything to eat other than a few peanuts and raisins before the gym! I was hun-gar-ry!!

There was a lonely sweet potato sitting on the counter that had been there all week and some eggs and veggies in the fridge. Plus, I had a little bit of cherry salsa left to finish off. Hmmmm.....

Looks delicious, right? It was!! Eggs, veggies and potatoes go well together, so why not put the eggs on the potato?! Just a little (healthy) twist on a good breakfast dish.

I probably could have added a little cheese to this, like a laughing cow wedge or something, but I didn't think of it at the time and this was perfectly satisfying just as it was. This was definitely a good combination.

Tonight is a NYRR Young Professionals Committee fundraiser - the spinning class at FlyWheel with mingling afterwards. Within four days it was sold out, with 42 people had paid $40-$75 to buy a bike for the class and support youth running programs around the country. It's going to be a great event and I'm really thankful for everyone who has pitched in to make it happen. Chances are we're going to hold another class in May because we have a waiting list of more than 20 people(!) but our next event is going to be a *free* one focusing on women's fitness fashion on March 16th. So, if you're in town, put that on your calendar!

• What are some of your favorite food combinations?
• Have you ever taken a spin class? What did you think?

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Today's workout -
45 min elliptical
125 crunches
1x50sec plank
3x10 cable push down
3x10 cable twists
stretching

Why I Workout In The Morning

The only times I workout after noon is when I'm taking a class at the gym or running with friends. Here's why:

• It gets me up, out of bed and my day started
• I love the few minutes of quiet time Woody and I have together while we're walking to the gym
• The endorphin boost from a great cardio workout gives me the energy I need to get through my day
• The treadmill/elliptical is a great place to catch up on the news and current events
• The gym isn't as busy and the streets are still pretty quiet
• I love seeing the sun rise during my run and imagining all the possibilities of the day
• I can accomplish more by 10am on a Saturday than some people will all day
• Because there's always a chance that my plans for the day can get turned upside down and I won't have time to get to the gym after work

As you know, Tuesday night is when I take a Zumba class at our gym. I had this on my calendar and had left my stuff in a locker at the gym, but when I checked Twitter on the way to work I saw a DM from MamaSpohr, a good friend who I met when I first moved out here who moved back to LA quite a few years ago. She is in town with her husband and adorable little girl (who we hadn't met yet) for a few days and wanted to get together for lunch. Even though my day at work had quickly spiraled out of control, there was no way I could turn this down. I emailed Woody and he was in too. We met for lunch and had a great time catching up. It was so fun to see them! Even though it meant I missed Zumba last night, it was totally worth it. Life can present fantastic little surprises that alter even the best made plans. If I always planned to workout after work, it probably wouldn't happen all that often.

I had a great workout this morning on the treadmill. Things were clicking not long after I started running and I felt really good. Worked up a good sweat to start the day! Today I didn't do any strength training and chose to extended my usual cool-down walk instead. While I didn't sleep very well last night this run gave me energy and I don't feel one bit tired!

Have a great day!!

• Do you workout in the morning or at night?
• Why do you prefer that?
• What's your favorite benefit you get from working out?

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Today's workout -
5mile run
extra-long cool down
1x50sec plank
lots of stretching

Cloud Cookies and Weight Machines

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! Our low-key night was just how we like it. I walked to Grand Central to catch the subway home and it was a mad-house! I have never seen such long lines at each vendor in the market and so many people crowded in that little hallway and on the subway platform. So glad we weren't planning to cram ourselves into a busy restaurant with a thousand other people! Instead, I made delicious and indulgent grilled cheese sandwiches (sharp cheddar and Gouda with peppers and onion), big salads and juicy pears. Oh, and we topped off the meal with chocolate cloud cookies from Baked! It was a delicious meal and a laid back night!

The last time I took a rest day was Sunday, the 6th. That's quite a few days in a row, not usually how I like to do it, but how it's worked out. Because of the NYRR YPC event Thursday night, I plan on taking Friday as my next rest day. Since that's still a few days off and I have Zumba tonight, I did an easier workout this morning. 40 minutes on the elliptical and strength training. It was a good workout and I think I'm going to do this on Zumba days. I still get my heart rate up (with little impact on my feet) and put more emphasis on strength (which I need), and then get a good cardio workout at night.

Breakfast is pretty simple. I've been using almond milk a lot lately (since I started consuming less dairy) but when I was at Trader Joe's on Saturday they were out of my usual Almond Breeze, so I had to try something different.

I couldn't compare the nutrition stats but I picked up what I thought was the best. Well, it has 30 extra calories and 9 extra grams of sugar. The fat is .5grams lower, but that's inconsequential to me. The taste is pretty good, but I definitely like the unsweetened original Almond Breeze better for my cereal. It's okay to try new things once in a while, but I hope to find the AB next time!

• How was your Valentine's Day?
• What's the longest stretch you've gone without a rest day?
• Do you drink milk, almond milk, soy milk, other? Or none at all?

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Today's workout -
40min elliptical
3x10 seated row
3x10 upright row
3x10 hammer curls
3x10 hip abductor
3x10 hip adductor
100 crunches
1x50sec plank
stretching

Opportunity Missed, But More To Come

Woody and I watched the weather forecast last night (between Eminem/Rhianna/Dr. Dre/Skylar Grey and Mick Jagger Grammy performances) and not once did they mention that it would be 46 degrees at 5am! I wasn't prepared to run outside this morning, so I went to the gym instead and missed out on a great morning.

The good thing was that I had another really good run this morning after the one Saturday! I was a bit nervous about it when I woke up this morning because I went to what turned out to be a really tough yoga class yesterday morning, and my muscles were hurting a bit first thing. But after finishing my normal routine of dynamic stretching and and a quick warm-up, I was off and going. I only had time for 5 miles, so that's what I did and finished up with my regular cool-down routine, a really quick strength workout and a little more stretching.

While I missed out on the weather, according to the Weather Channel, it looks like there's more of it to come and I definitely plan on taking advantage of it!

• Woody & I went to dinner and a movie Saturday night, but are celebrating Valentine's Day tonight at home, making dinner here and enjoying a nice dessert. Nothing too special. How will you celebrate?

*************
Today's workout -
5mile run
3x10 cable pull twists
3x12 overhead tricep extension
stretching

Treadmill: Conquered

I had a great run today. I planned on a six mile run, so I only did 4 yesterday since it was my 5th day working out in a row and 6th workout of the week (morning workouts plus Zumba). Lately I've just been running five because of my morning schedule, so I wanted to go a little further today. You all know I'm not a fan of the treadmill, but because I have more sinus trouble running in the cold I have to get on the treadmill. Truthfully, this hasn't been working out all that much better but when it's freezing outside.... Today was different though. For some (fantastic) reason I didn't have much trouble with my sinuses at all during my run! My legs felt good and it didn't take long to settle into a good rhythm. When I was approaching six miles, I felt I could go farther, so I did, but not too much farther. I have four races on my schedule now and I don't want to risk injuring myself again because I go too far, too soon. Six and a half miles was good enough for today and I finished feeling good, but like tired, so it was a good workout!

After this great workout I had to go to Trader Joe's to pick up some groceries. Woody was on his way uptown too, but to meet up with some members of our alumni club to get a tour of the Natural History Museum. On the way, the subway took forever, delayed a few times, and then after I got off at 14th St, I found out that the 1/2/3 subway had stopped running. Not good. Woody had to take cab all the way to the UWS so not to be late and I ended up having to trudge an extra quarter mile with two very heavy bags of groceries to get to another line. Gotta love these weekends when the MTA is doing 'track work' on 17 lines.

Okay, I'm off. Have a great weekend!

Yoga tomorrow!

• Random question today: candy or chocolate. Which do you prefer?

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Today's workout:
6.5mile run
3x10 seated row
3x10 hip abductor
3x10 hip adductor
100 crunches
1x50sec plank
stretching

5 For Friday

1. This week I registered for two more races. My calendar is starting to fill up! I registered for the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 21st and the New York Mini 10K on June 11! I'm really excited for both of these. I haven't run the Brooklyn Half before but since I want to run at least four half marathons this year, this one seems like a good one to do. I have run the Mini 10K twice and it's a great race. It's a women's-only field and instead of starting in Central Park, it starts on Central Park West and goes north for a bit before turning into the park. It's a nice little twist on the usual race routes for NYRR races and all the women are so encouraging and supportive!

2. The other day I saw a tweet about free races in NYC. I was immediately curious so I clicked the link. Some group puts together races with holiday themes in Van Cortland Park up in the Bronx. The races are free but they ask for donations to cover costs. As you can imagine, the races are pretty low-key, with what sounds like a do-it-yourself atmosphere, but who knows, they could be fun! They do come with amusing race souvenirs! I'd love to hear if anyone has run one of these! Next one is this Sunday for Valentine's Day.

3. New York Running Company at Columbus Circle is having a big winter gear sale this weekend. When I was in Grand Central I noticed the Super Runners Shop there has a sale going on too. Check them out if you need another long sleeve top or jacket to make it through the rest of this super-cold winter!

4. Busy weekend ahead starting with a 6 mile run on tap for tomorrow morning. I have a little craft project to do in preparation for the NYRR YPC fundraiser on Thursday night, Woody and I are finally going to see The King's Speech! (I've had a celebrity/Englishman-crush on Colin Firth since Bridget Jones.) Yoga Sunday morning and then we're taking a trip to Red Hook, Brooklyn via the IKEA ferry to do a little IKEA and Fairway shopping plus a stop at BAKED.

5. BUT, before all that, I'm more than excited for tonight! I'm going to see Adele perform music from her new album, "21"! I haven't seen her live since 2009 when she was here touring for her album "19" and it was such an incredible show. She has an amazing voice and a sharp personality. I can not wait! Work will not go by fast enough for me! Here's a great video from the new album:

• What races are you looking forward to?
• Have you ever run a free race organized completely by volunteers?
• Have you seen The Kings Speech? More importantly, are you also in love with Colin Firth? (if so, I know we'll be friends forever!)
• What's on tap for your weekend?

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Today's workout -
4mile run
3x10 cable pull push-down
3x10 leg press
3x10 weighted side bends
100 jumping jacks
1x50sec planks

A Whole Lot of Bagels and Carrots

Thanks for all the get well wishes yesterday. I'm feeling much better today. I spent the day on the couch and slept for an hour and a half during the afternoon and it seems to have passed. I hate ever being sick, but at least this was a quick hit.

I wrote this a few days ago but haven't gotten it up yet. I'm sure you're thinking: bagels and carrots? They don't go together! And you're right. But that's what I spent my Sunday morning with anyway.

Grace and I volunteered at Gold's Love We Deliver, through the Urban Girl Squad. Going into it I knew a few things about GLWD.

1. They make and deliver food to people who are too sick to shop and/or cook for themselves.
2. There is a NYRR race every November that supports the organization.
3. Joan Rivers is on the board of directors.

We arrived at the building on 6th Ave at 9:45am and met up with a bunch of other women there with the UGS. Emily, the volunteer specialist, gave us an overview about the organization then we watched a really moving video that explained the history of the organization and who they help.

GLWD was founded in 1986 by Ganga Stone and Jane Best in order to deliver healthy, prepared meals to HIV/AIDS patients in New York City. As treatments for AIDS and HIV were developed, the mission of the foundation evolved to also help people suffering from other serious illnesses. They also deliver meals for the children of patients so the family can eat healthfully. All of the meals are healthy and nutritious because these patients need this food to overcome their illness and gain strength. There is never a waiting list, each client gets 10 meals a week and a personalized cake on their Birthday. GLWD also provide nutrition counseling and have published nutrition guides.

There are fewer than 80 people on staff at GLWD, so a lot of the work is done by volunteers. A great amount of the funds are raised through donations and many restaurants in the city support the organization as well. Individuals, organizations and companies can volunteer.

The video we watched

Once we had learned the history and got our safety lesson (you must wash your hands about a billion times, wear hair nets, aprons and gloves to keep germs off the food), we headed down to the kitchen. While others in our group were peeling onions, my first job was to wrap bagels. It's a good thing, too, because most of the time, I start tearing up as soon as I start on an onion! I have to say, after wrapping at least 200 bagels, I think I'm now a professional! After that, I got to pick up a knife and a peeler to attack a major bag of the biggest carrots I've seen. I mean, these were huge carrots, but our table went through those two bags in less than 20 minutes. We were on a roll. And before I knew it, it was almost 1pm and we were cleaning up.

I met some great people and I'm so glad Grace and I were able to volunteer together. It was a great experience and especially love the fact that we were doing something to truly help people just get through each day. It's so exhausting to be sick, especially if you're on your own, and GLWD is literally saving lives.

Here are some pics from the day courtesy of GLWD. You can see more of the fun HERE.

I really encourage you to learn more about God's Love We Deliver, and think about donating or volunteering with the organization. It's really amazing and selfless work that they're doing every day.

• What's your favorite way to give back to your community?
• Do you have good knife skills in the kitchen?
• Do you tear up when peeling & chopping onions?

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Today's workout -
easy 45min elliptical
3x10 cable pull twists
3x12 overhead tricep extensions
3x10 front arm raise
100 crunches
2x40sec planks
stretching

Rough Morning

So far I've had a pretty tough day so far. I immediately felt a little 'off' when the alarm woke me up at 5am but I brushed it off, thinking it was because I was still tired and it was a bit warm in our room.

My stomach wasn't feeling well but it wasn't bad enough to keep me home, so I went to the gym. My run was pretty tough. My sinuses were driving me nuts and and it took the first mile to get into the groove. The guy on the treadmill next to me was pounding away and had a bit of an odor emanating from him. Just a tad distracting. Once he got off, another guy got on and couldn't get the TV to start up right away and started punching it like that would help. That's why they break!! Then I felt a little sharpness against one of my toes. Not a good sign. My stomach continued to feel a bit off during the run so I kept telling myself to get to the next mile and see how I felt. Somehow I managed 5 miles. I really don't know how. I stretched a little, did a tiny strength workout and that was it. As I was getting ready to leave I noticed my sock was bloody. Great. It turns out those quick sharp pains were from a toe nail digging into the side of another toe.

Came home, still didn't feel great. I felt weaker as I got ready for work and my stomach was really upset with me. Still, I didn't feel like it should keep me home, so I headed out in the cold to the subway. At Union Square I got off and headed to the downtown train and came back home. There's been a bug going around my office for the past few months, maybe I finally got a version of it. I wasn't going to be able to function at a high level and since I don't have any meetings today or immediate deadlines, I felt it was best to come home, rest up and get better so I can work hard the rest of the week. I hate taking sick days but then again, I hate it when people come into the office when they're sick. Hopefully this will pass quickly. I have a busy week.

Okay, I think I'm ready for a nap.

• Do you resist taking sick days or do you embrace them?

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Last night's workout -
Zumba

Today's workout -
5mile run
3x10 side arm raise
3x12 bicep curls

Adventures in Mac & Cheese

FYI to NYC runners! Registration for the NYRR races through June is now open and the homepage says the Brooklyn Half is nearing capacity and they expect it to close today. So if you're planning to run it, go sign up HERE!

Alright, so I did it. Sunday I tried my hand at making Mark Bittman's mac & cheese recipe that's in the March issue of Runner's World. I've loved mac & cheese ever since I was mixing the Kraft stuff with my green peas at my parents kitchen table when I was like 5 years old. Now that I'm more conscious of what I eat and I understand how bad the stuff is for me, I have hardly had a bite of it in more years than I can count. So when I saw Mark Bittman's healthier version in Runner's World, I knew I had to try it out.

A few things were working against me, so my optimism levels were pretty low as it baked:

1. I've never made mac & cheese from scratch
2. We have a 3 cup food processor
3. It turns out I'm bad at reading recipes (especially when written in paragraph form)
4. Apparently when the oven light is turned on, the temperature decreases by 25'

The recipe isn't on the website yet, but it should be once the next issue of RW is out on newstands. But, I bet a lot of you already have this recipe sitting on your desk or night stand anyway!

I will tell you a few things:

• I didn't use bay leaves in the veggie stock
• It seemed like there was a lot of sauce, so I didn't use all of it (and I'm glad I made that decision)
• Since I'm still not super experienced as a cook, I was a little confused by the "8oz whole wheat elbow pasta". I started by measuring out a cup of pasta and realized it could not be enough. So I measured out another cup, which was about half the bag, so that made a little more sense.

A few pictures from this adventure.

the base of the sauce is cauliflower

Our little food processor couldn't do the job,
so it was up to the blender

With homemade bread crumbs and grated Parmesan on top,
it's (finally) ready for the oven

Hot out of the oven!

Yes, I look exhausted, but it's done!

The mac & cheese set, was cooked through and was piping hot. You have to understand going into this, that this is not a super cheesy mac & cheese. The base of the sauce is cauliflower, so if you only love mac & cheese if it's made with a lb of cheese, this won't be for you. I did think that the pasta/sauce ratio was a little off, but overall it turned out really well and I'm proud of my first attempt at making this dish. Next time I'll be more sure about the amount of pasta, maybe add a little more and probably use a little less cauliflower. Oh, and I might add the bay leaves in too. But, I know it was a success because Woody asked if he could take some of the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch! That reminds me. The recipe says it makes four servings, but we had this for dinner and now we're both on our second (and last) day of taking leftovers to work for lunch. So somehow I ended up with quite a bit more, or it makes really big servings.

If you don't know Mark Bittman, check out his website HERE and his RW blog HERE.

• Are you a mac & cheese lover?
• Does it remind you of childhood memories?
• Do recipes written in paragraph form throw you off too?

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Today's workout -
45min elliptical
100 crunches
2x40sec plank
3x10 leg press
3x10 upright row
3x10 hammer curl/squat combo
stretching
Tonight's workout -
heading back to Zumba!

Fitness Class Review: Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp

I told you all last week that Grace had roped convinced Kether and I into trying the indoor bootcamp class she's been taking. I was pretty nervous going into it because while I'm cardiovascularly fit, I definitely do not spend enough time strength training and I knew this class wasn't going to test my lung capacity!

The alarm went off at 6:45am Saturday but I had been half awake for a good 10 to 15 minutes before that. I think my mind was already racing in anticipation. I got up, had some green tea and headed out in the dreary mist that we're having all day today. I met Grace and Kether there and picked up the red bands and 5lb weights like Grace had advised us to do for our first class. I'm so glad I went with someone who had taken the class before!

We started with 100 jumping jacks. Great way to get right into it, right? The rest of the hour was non-stop. Squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches and sit-ups, lunges, upright rows, overhead presses, lots of stuff with resistence bands(both arms and legs), more squats, push-ups and jumping jacks. It actually went by so quickly since we went from one thing to the next with no rest in between. Literally, it was kind of a blur looking back on it.

I admit, that I couldn't do everything. Well, not full out anyway. I do think though that I did a pretty good job for it being my first class. I didn't feel completely depleted at the end, but like I had just been through a challenging workout. As Grace had told us, the instructor, Ariane, pushes you and will call you out (I had personal experience with this) but she wasn't in your face and harsh. I was also impressed that she did about 98% of the workout with us, which you don't always see instructors do, especially when they have another class directly afterwards. It's a good thing I'm volunteering tomorrow and taking the day off from working out, because I have a feeling my whole body is going to be sore!

This was a great workout that pushed me in ways that I don't push myself. If only it wasn't quite so expensive, especially on top of a gym membership, I would join the program. I'm definitely contemplating the 5-class package, because I'm certain that even once a week would make a difference. Two days later and I can still feel the workout in my muscles, that means it did something! I was so impressed by Grace's endurance and strength throughout the class. She absolutely rocked it and I would love to be that strong. I really admire all the work and dedication she's put into these classes. It was great to see, and experience, what she's been doing all these months.

Class Info:
Name: Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp
Location: NIMBLE studio (other locations depending on class time, some are outdoors)
Time: Saturday 8am
Instructor: Ariane
Website: www.brooklynbridgebootcamp.com

Watch THIS video to learn more!
• Have you taken a bootcamp class or would you like to try?
• What is one thing that's missing from your workouts that you'd like to work on more?

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Saturday's workout -
Bootcamp class

Sunday's workout -
walk to/from volunteering (approx 3miles, more on this later)

Today's workout -
5mile run
3x10 cable pull push-down
3x10 cable pull twists
100 crunches
stretching

5 For Friday

Another week is (almost) in the books, not to mention another month! I can't believe it's February already. Thankfully, we're getting closer to Spring! The sun was starting to come up over Brooklyn as I walked home from the gym at 6:30am! The days are getting longer and I couldn't be happier. Soon I might be running outside in the morning again. I have to admit that I was lazy today. I woke up and even though I had running on my schedule, I just couldn't bring myself to get on the treadmill and opted for the elliptical instead. I did tack on an extra 5 minutes, but I know it's not the same workout as running. Oh well, I still got my heart rate up and I'll do better next week!

1.The other day I came across an articles summarizing one of those research studies that just seems so obvious it's ridiculous that people spent time and money on it. Apparently, kids who are fed unhealthy foods grow to prefer them. Amazing, right? And maybe some of you can explain this to me, why do some parents try to feed their kids right but then eat poorly themselves? Has 'lead by example' fallen to the wayside?

2. Speaking of eating well.... it seems there are some people now who believe that eating breakfast doesn't affect the amount of calories you'll eat throughout the day. Obviously this goes against what most nutritionists have been saying for years, and personally, I don't buy it. I can say for myself, that if I don't eat a good breakfast in the morning, I'm starving way before noon and will eat more the rest of the day once I do start eating. This study involved only a small amount of subjects and I definitely think that it all depends on the individual. Maybe eating breakfast doesn't matter for some people, but I don't think it's wise to tell people that anyone can skip breakfast and it won't matter.

3.  Did you hear that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines were released the other day? Yep, on January 31st, 2011. Gotta love how well our government agencies hits deadlines! I haven't read through everything yet, but Marion Nestle has and you can read her thoughts about the new guidelines HERE. As far as the executive summary goes, it does state that Americans need to reduce the amount of sodium intake, eat smaller portion sizes, be more physically active, and more. This is a good start, but we'll see if their other recommendations take shape and our culture starts to change. 

4. I'm particularly excited about two things this weekend. a) tomorrow I'm meeting Grace and Kether at the early hour of 8am to take a bootcamp class! I'm nervous because I know it's going to be intense, but I need a little kick in the butt! And, I'm doing it with two of the most supportive women I know! b) Sunday morning Grace and I are volunteering at God's Love We Deliver to help prepare food for people who are too sick to shop or prepare food. We signed up through a group called Urban Girl Squad. We've never attended one of their social or volunteer events, but I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to spend a few hours doing something for someone else.

5. Last week I told you about the NYRR Young Professionals Committee event at Flywheel, with support from Lululemon, to raise funds for youth running. Well, as of last night, it is sold out! The invite just went out today to our mailing list and it sold out within hours! We're beyond thrilled! We have a bunch of other great events coming up, including a women's fashion night on March 2nd. Stay tuned for more details. Or, better yet, 'like' our facebook page so you get all the info right away!

I hope you have a great weekend!!

• What did you do this week that you're proud of or happy about?
• Do you know why some parents try to teach their kids to eat well but then don't do it themselves?
• Do you eat breakfast?
• What are you excited for this weekend?

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Thursday's workout -
5mile run
3x10 cable pull push down
3x12 upright row

 

Today's workout -
55min elliptical
2x40sec planks
stretching

Ending On A Good Note

Well, we're finally having that big client meeting today that we've tried to have two other times this year but has been postponed due to the weather. Like all big meetings, it's a bit nerve wracking and I will be ready to relax at 4pm this afternoon!

Yesterday was a tough day. For some reason I was starving all day long. I typically have just a small amount to eat before we head to the gym because we go so early and right after we wake up, so I had a small handful of raisins and peanuts along with water. I was hungry as soon as I got home so I had a dried apricot before showering. Then, breakfast like usual and by the time our bi-weekly 'breakfast club' came around at 10am I was hungry already, a mere two hours later! The trend continued most of the day and I ended up snacking way more than usual because I really was more than just a little hungry. I drank a good amount of tea and water throughout the day as well, so it wasn't just that I needed to drink more water. It was quite annoying.

I made it out of work and to the gym in time for Zumba! I haven't gone since the first time nearly a month ago. I was struggling a little for the first few routines but then got into the groove. The class was packed, which I imagine is a weekly occurrence, but there was a woman in front of me who has obviously been doing it for a while, so I was was able to watch her whenever I couldn't see the instructor. I told her this, and she seemed to be a little flattered. Thankfully she wasn't weirded out! The class was great and once I got into it, the time flew by and before I knew it we were doing the cool down. I've scheduled this class in my calendar and plan to go each week. It's a great way for me to have some fun, let loose, get fit and expand my fitness horizons!

Thankfully I wasn't as hungry after class as I had been all day. I was planning to make a TJ's frozen veggie pizza (we always add tons of veggies on top) but instead decided to have a big fresh salad instead and let Woody enjoy the pizza and take the leftovers to work tomorrow. In my bowl: lettuce mix, hericot verts, broccoli, corn, squash, zucchini, a laughing cow cheese wedge and pear. It was just what I needed!

Salad success!

Woody and I woke up for the gym this morning and when we heard the freezing rain hitting the windows then watched the weather forecast on TV, we decided pretty quickly we didn't want to start our day dealing with that mess and went back to sleep instead. The subways are all running local so it's going to be a long ride to work this morning. Fun stuff! Is it spring yet?

How do you like to rebound from a 'hungry day'?
Do you ever add fruit to your salads?
How's the weather where you are? Did you get a snow day today?
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Last night's workout -
Zumba class

Today's workout -
None. Weather-related rest day.

What's For Dinner? Deliciousness!

Hey, so thanks for all the supportive comments yesterday! Sounds like most of us look to the treadmill as a necessary evil. I still don't quite understand all the people who only run on the treadmill though. For me, it's really a tool to stay fit and tide me over till I can get back outside!

I wanted to share a really good recipe with you all. It's no secret that I love sweet potatoes, just like many of you. Woody's mom pointed this recipe out to me after she saw it in a recent Penzey's catalog she had received and I knew instantly that I had to try it.

You've seen my Sweet Potato Quesadilla well, last week I made Sweet Potato burritos! I made a few changes, mostly in the quantities of ingredients, so I'm just going to link to the original recipe HERE so you can check it out and make any changes you want to make (if any).

Because I like to share, I made the following changes:
1. I didn't have coriander so I left that out
2. I used half a lime although I think the full lime would have been fine in the end
3. 1 cup of black beans rather than the whole can
4. I added chopped tomato and onion
5. Made 4 burritos rather than the 6
6. Added freshly shredded sharp cheddar

make sure the sweet potatoes are fully cooked before scooping out from the skins

I spread the mixture in the center and added a little cheese

I used toothpicks to keep the burritos closed while baking

We topped them with cherry salsa and they were really good! We'll definitely have these again.

Speaking of the cherry salsa... we had some left after this meal so I needed some chips so I could finish off the salsa! We were at Trader Joe's Sunday afternoon but instead of getting tortilla chips, I picked up a cheaper and healthier package of whole wheat pitas and baked them when we got home. I sprayed them with a little bit of olive oil spray and sprinkled a tiny bit of salt then baked on each side for 5 minutes. So easy and much healthier than most bagged chips.

Have you gotten the March issue of Runner's World yet? Mark Bittman's recipe for cauliflower mac & cheese sounds so good! I haven't had mac & cheese for years because it's so unhealthy but this is on our menu for next weekend. My one concern is that it requires making the sauce in a food processor and we have the smallest food processor available (what? we have less-than-no storage space!). I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm pretty proud of myself because unlike most of the time, I have meals planned out for each dinner through Friday, even though it's a busy week!

Have you tried a 'healthy' version of mac & cheese?
Do you think it's possible to use a blender to do the job of a food process?
Have you ever revamped Mexican food to make it healthier (and vegetarian friendly)?
Do you plan your meals at the start of each week?
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Today's workout -
50min elliptical
3x10 cable pull twists
2x35sec plank on stability ball
stretching